Mechanical movement.



T. -A. 0. BOTH.

. MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 2, 1910.

Patented May 30, 1911.

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' WITNESSES .T.A.G.BOTH.

MEGHANIGAL MOVEMENT. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1910.

Patented May 30, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'I'. A. G. BOTH.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUL: 2, 1910.

Patented May 30, 1911.

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TONJES AUGUST CARL BOTH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 IDA S.ROSENI-IEIM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

Application filed. July 2, 1910. Serial No. 570,138.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TONJES AUeUsT CARL Born, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMechanical Movements, of which the following is a specification, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thesame.

This invention relates to mechanical movements adapted for universalapplication and is an improvement upon U. S. Patent #943,274, patentedDecember 14, 1909. I have shown my mechanical movement located in anelectric light socket and adapted to make and break the current therein,though it is to be distinctly understood that my invention is not to belimited to this or any other particular use.

My invention further relates to an electric light socket in which myimproved mechanical movement is used, all ofwhich will be hereinafterdescribed in the specification.

and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings showing illustrative embodiments of myinvention and in which the same reference numerals refer to similarparts on the several figures,-Figure 1 is a vertical section through anelectric light socket equipped with my invention, a part of the figurebeing shown in side elevation for the purpose of better illustration;Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section substantially on the line 22of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one form of lockingplate; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one form of driven member;Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one form of resilient member;Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section substantially on the line 7-7of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one form of driving member,axle or arbor; Fig. 9 is a vertical section through my double poleelectric light socket; Fig. 10 is a vertical section substantially onthe line 1010 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on the line11-11 of Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of one form ofconducting or bridge plate; Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view of oneform of driven member; Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view showlng thepassages of the current 111 my double pole socket; Fig. 15 is a verticalsection through a modified form of double pole socket; Fig. 16 is alongitudinal section substantially on the line 16, 16 of Fig. 15; Fig.17 is a vertical section substantially on the line 17, 17 of Fig. 16;Fig. 18 is a vertical sect-ion substantially on the line 18, 18 of Fig.16; Fig. 19 is a detail end View showing the arrangement of the drivenmember and the laterally movable contact plates; Fig. 20 is a detailperspective view of one form of laterally movable conducting or bridgeplate; Fig. 21 is a detail side elevation of a center contact; and Fig.22 is a detail perspective view of one form of spring actuated plate.

I have shown my invention applied to a single pole electric light socketand also two different forms of double pole electric light sockets. Thesingle pole construction shown in Figs. 1-7 will be first described.

In the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings,1 is an electric light socket having the usual or any approved outershell'2,a cap 3 and with any form of insulation 4 between the shell andthe screw shell contact 5, Fig. 1. The insulation which is usually usedto line the cap 3 may be employed, if desired, but preferably isomitted. The shell, cap and insulation form no part of my invention andtherefore will be disregarded in the further description of theinvention.

To house and thoroughly protect my mechanical movement, when it is usedas the operating switch mechanism in an electric light socket, I mountit in the interior 6 of a hollow insulating receptacle 7 usually formedof porcelain or some other suitable material. This receptacle 7 isclosed on all sides except the bottom which is closed by the head 8 ofthe screw shell contact 5. This screw shell contact is held to theclosed insulating receptacle 7 in any suitable manner such as by meansof the screws 10, 10, Figs. 2 and 7 cooperating with nuts 11, 11, Fig.17. The upper portion of the screw shell is cut away at 12 for thereception of the center contact 13, Fig. 1. This center contactcomprises a post 14 and at its lower end an arm 15 terminating in aspring contact 16, Fig. l, which makes connect-ion with the centercontact of the lamp or other consuming device, not shown. The upper endof the post 11 has a flange 17 bent substantially at right angles to itand is provided with a screw threaded aperture to cooperate with a screw18, Fig. l. The binding screw 18 is also located in the post as isclearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The arm 15 is insulated fromthe head 8 of the screw shell 5 in any suitable manner as by a piece ofmica 20.

I preferably connect a spring contact 21 to the head 8 of the screwshell 5 in any suitable manner as by rivets 101, arranging it so that itwill be substantially opposite a similar spring contact 22 carried bythe binding post 23 to which the return wire 2%: is con nected, it beingunderstood that the feed wire 25 is connected to the binding screw 19.In the arrangement of the parts shown the current will therefore passthrough the wire 25, the center contact 13 and spring contact 16 downthrough the lamp or other consuming device and out through the shell.contact 5, the spring contacts 21, 22 and wire 24:, it there is asuitable connection made between the spring contacts 2122. Means to makethis connection between these two spring contacts 2122 so that bothaquick make as well as a quick break are assured, form a part of mymechanical movement. It has been old prior to my invention to make aquick break between the electric contacts but not to make a quick makeas well as a quick break. Both of these are essential to pre vent arcingand burning out of the parts.

My mechanical movement which can be used to operate any suitable elementis here shown operating a conducting or bridge plate 26 to make a quickmake as well as a quick break between the contact-s 2122. It includesessentially a driving member which is here shown as an axle or arbor 27,adapted to be rotated in either direction and a driven member 28 splinedto the driving member, together with one or more yielding members tocooperate with the driven member. This driven member 28 comprises asingle member which is preferably made of some insu lating material suchas porcelain, or other suitable material, Fig. 5, and is provided withoppositely inclined surfaces 29 and 30 forming opposed hills 31 andvalleys 32. On one end of the driven member 28 I secure in any suitablemanner the conducting or bridge plate 26 to make the connection betweenthe spring contacts 21, 22. This connection may be made in various ways,but preferably in this form of my invention the plate 26 is givensubstantially the shape of a disk with a flange 53, the end 34 of whichis crimped or bent over the rim 35 of the driven member 28; though othermeans of holding the plate 26 may be used, if desired.

driving member 27.

At substantially diagonally opposite points on the interior of theclosed insulating receptacle 7 I provide recesses 36, 36 each of whichhas an auxiliary recess 37 substan tially at rightangles to it. ll ithinthese recesses 36 I mount one or more resilient members, such as bentsprings 38, Figs. 6 and 2, with a bent portion 10 and an car 39, thebent portion 40 being adapted to snugly lit into the recesses 36, 36 andthe ears 39, 39 fitting within the auxiliary recesses 37, 37, Figs. 2and 6. The ends 41, 11 of the springs 08 are adapted to cooperate withthe oppositely inclined hills and valleys 31 and 32 on the driven member28. These members may also be provided with notches -1-2, 412 tocooperate with and hold the ends 41 of the spring 38 or springs, it morethan one spring is used. In other words the ends of the springs whichhappen to be the resilient members in this case are held in the notchesuntil the spring has stored up its maximum energy when, upon thecompletion of the ro tary movement of the driy'en member, the notchesare disengaged from the resilient member and the spring member instantlytends to actuate the driven member to make or break with a quick snapthe electrical current as the case may be.

The driving member, in the form shown, comprises the axle or arbor whichis preterably formed from metal and is provided with a cut out portionor kerf 43 for the reception of the detachable spline or feather 4 1,which is forced into the kerf 13 in the This driving member 27 is alsoat one end preferably provided with a circumferential groove tocooperate with the locking plate 46, Figs. 3 and 4. This plate isdropped into a recess -17 in the closed receptacle 7 and is preferablyinsulated from the top 8 of the shell 5 by any suitable insulation suchas 18. This locking plate 16 cooperating with the groove 45 serves toprevent the accidental or unauthorized removal of the driving member 27with its handle or key 49. This key or han dle in the form of myinvention shown, may be metal as it is insulated from those portions ofthe socket through which the current passes.

Upon rotating the key 49 with its axle or arbor 27 approximately 90degrees in either direction, the insulating driven member 28 is causedalso to rotate to the same extent which will force apart the ends 11, 41of the springs 38, 38 causing them to move from a valley to a hill. Inthis position of the parts the ends 11, 41 ot the springs 38, 38 if twosprings be used, will move down the inclined surfaces 29, 2.) or 30, 30as the case may be, until they reach the opposite valley where they willcome to rest. In doing this, however, the driven member 28 is given aquick movement or snap laterally which will cause it to move from theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and quickly break the electricalconnection between the bridge plate 26 and the spring contacts 2122. Afurther rotation in either direction of the driving member 27 another 90degrees will reverse this operation and cause the driven member to movequickly, with a snap, back into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 toagain make the electrical connection between the spring contacts 21, 22.In this manner both a quick make as well as a quick break are made by mymechanical movement when it is used as an electric switch mechanism,thereby eliminating all arcing not only upon the breaking of thecurrent, but also upon making it. Furthermore, the entire switchmechanism is located within the closed insulating re ceptacle 7 andthoroughly housed and protected from moisture, dust or other foreignsubstances.

My invention is also adapted to be used with a double pole electriclight socket. One form of such double pole socket is shown in Figs. 9 to14, and another form in Figs. 15 to 22 inclusive. In the first form ofdouble pole socket, that above referred to, the closed insulatingreceptacle 7 is the same as in the device previously described. In thisform the screw shell contact 50 is provided with an upwardly extendingscrew shell contact 51 arranged opposite and separated from a springcontact 52 connected to the binding post contact 53. Within the interior6 of the closed insulating receptacle 7 I also provide a spring contact54 connected with the center contact 55 and arrange it opposite to, andseparated from, another spring contact 56 which is connected to thebinding post 57. On the driving member 27 I spline a porcelain or otherinsulating driven member 58 having at one end a rim 59 and at the othera rim 60, and upon each rim I mount a conducting or bridge plate 61, 61,such for example as shown in Fig. 12. These plates 61 may be secured tothe porcelain or other insulating driven member 58 in any suitablemanner. Preferably I secure them by providing them with ears 62, 62which can be bent around the rims 59 and 60. The driven member 58between the conducting or bridge plates 61,

61, is provided with oppositely inclined surfaces 29 and 30 formingopposed hills 31 and valleys 32, the same as shown in Fig. 5. Upon thesehills and valleys any suitable resilient member is adapted to operate,such as the spring 63 shown in Fig. 10. It will therefore be seen thatin this form of my invention the electric light socket is a double poleone, there being four contacts, two for each wire. When the drivenmember 58 is in the position shown in Fig. 11 wherein the forwardconducting or bridge plate 61 is brought into contact with itsrespective spring contacts 51, 52, and the rear conducting or bridgeplate 61 is brought into contact with its spring contacts 54, 56, thecurrent will pass as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 14, coming in at thebinding post 57 passing through its spring contact 56, rear bridge plate61 on the driven member 158, spring contact 54, thence through thecenter contact 55, through the lamp or other consuming device 64 back tothe shell contact 50, spring contact 51, forward bridge plate 61, springcontact 52 out through the binding post 53. A partial rotation of thedriving member 27 in either direction sufiicient to cause the spring 63to coperate with the opposed hills and valleys, as previously described,will cause the porcelain or insulated driven member 58 to snap back andquickly break all four contacts. A further partial rotation of thedriving member 27 and the driven member 58 will cause the latter toreverse its movement and quickly snap the respective conducting orbridge plates 61, 61 between their respective spring contacts andthereby quickly make the electrical connection. This double pole socketpermits currents of high voltage to be safely used. By using mymechanical movement as a switch mechanism for such a double pole socket,all four contacts are not only quickly broken, but are also quicklymade; both the making and breaking being almost instantaneous andthereby eliminating all arcing on the making as well as the breaking ofthe current.

In Figs. 15 to 22 I have shown a little different arrangement of thedouble bole electric light socket. In this form my insulating receptacle65, of porcelain or other suitable material, is entirely closed exceptthe bottom which is closed by the top of the screw shell contact 66, aninterposed in sulating disk 77 being preferably employed. This screwshell contact 66 and the interposed insulating disk 77 are held to theinsulating receptacle 65 by any suitable means such as by the screws 10,10 and nuts 11, 11 Fig. 17. In this form of my invention, the drivenmember 67 is splined or otherwise properly secured upon the drivingmember 68 as in the other constructions and is formed of porcelain orother suitable insulating material and is provided at one end with acircumferential groove 69, Fig. 16. It is also provided with similaroppositely inclined surfaces 29, 30 forming opposed hills 31, 31 andvalleys 32, 32. Loosely mounted within the circumferential groove 69 andseparated from each other are two conducting bridge plates 70 and 71,respectively, which are alike but coiiperate with different contacts.These bridge pieces are of peculiar construction, one of them beingshown in Fig. 20 in perspective. They each consist essentially of twoconnected U- shaped members having a connecting portion 72, which ispreferably formed concave on its edge 73, its surface forming a segmentof a circle whose diameter is greater than that of the driving member(38. On each end of the bridge plates and 71 are spring jaws 7G, 76which yieldingly engage the fixed contacts to be hereinafter described.In the insulating disk 77 I preferably provide recesses or guideways 78,78 within which slide the parallel projections 79, 79 of the bridgeplate 71. The similar projections 79, 79 011 the bridge plate 70 areguided in grooves 80, 80 formed in the head 81 of the one pieceinsulating recep tacle (35. From this manner of loosely mounting thebridge pieces 70 and '71 in. the circumferential groove 69 it willreadily be seen that they move with the driven member 67, but they arenot rotated as the driving and driven members are given a partialrevolution in either direction to actuate the driven member laterally.This insures the bridge pieces 70 and 71 always coacting with theirrespective contacts. The center contact may be of any approvedconstruction; for purposes of illustration 1 have shown it comprising asubstantially inverted L- shaped member 82 having a forwarding extendingcontact 83 and a foot 8%, one end 85 of which contacts with the centercontact of the lamp or other consuming device (not shown), the other endof the foot being enlarged at 86 and apertured at 87 for the receptionof some proper securing mechanism such as a screw 88 which takes intothe threaded aperture 87, Figs. 15 and 21. I also connect a contact 89to the screw shell 66 having it extend up into the opening in thereceptacle 65 and locate it opposite a terminal contact 90, Fig. 18,which is connected with a binding post 91, Fig. 18. To co operate withthe hills 31 and valleys 32 on the driven member (3'7 I arrange one ortwo spring pressed plates 92 and 93, each being operated by springs 94and 95, respectively, the former, preferablythough not necessarily,resting in a recess in the head of the insulating receptacle 65 and theother spring 95 resting upon the insulating disk 77. From the mechanismpreviously described it is clear that upon the partial revolution of thedriving member 68 90 degrees in either direction, the driven member 67will be also caused to rotate with the driving member. This will causethe spring pressed plates 92, 93 to be forced apart and thereby store upenergy in the springs 9-1- and until, what is termed in thisspecification a hill is brought into contact with the plates 92 and 93when the energy in the springs 94 and 95 will then exert itself to causethe plates 92 and 93 to move down the incline surfaces into the opposedvalleys. This. as previously described, will cause a quick snap of thedriven member in the opposite direction, either to make or break thecurrent as the case may be.

In the present construct-ion the partial rotation of the driving member(58 and the driven member 67 will not effect the conducting bridgeplates 70, 71 which are loosely mounted in the circumferential groove69. The longitudinal movement of the driven member, however, controlsand. actuates both bridge or contact pieces 70, 71 to move them to orfrom their cooperating contacts to make a double pole quick make andquick break electric light socxet. 1f the positive wire is connected tothe binding post 96, by way of example, the current will pass into thecontact 97 connected to that post, then through the bridge piece 70 overto the contact 83 carried by the center contact 82, thence through thefoot of that con tact 85, through the lamp or other consuming device,thence to the screw shell contact (36, contact 89, Fig. 18, bridge piece71, contact 90 to the corresponding negative binding post. 91. To breakthe contacts the driving and driven members are given a partial rotationof 90 degrees in either direction as previously described, which,however, will not rotate the bridge pieces '70 or 71, when the springplates 92 and 93 will cause the driven member 67 to give a quick snaplongitudinally of the driving member 68 and carry with it both plates 70and 71, thereby making a quick break between each plate 70 and '71 andtheir respective cooperating contacts. A further rotation of 90 degreesin either direction will reverse the movement of the bridge pieces 70,T1 in a manner previously described, and cause them to snap back andmake a quick make with their respective cooperating contacts. 1,therefore, in this construction have also both a double pole quick makeand quick break electric light socket and one which is entirely inclosedand protected in the one piece insulating receptacle, though of courseit is to be understood that as a mechanical movement my invention is notto be confined to this or any other particular form of housing.

The driving member 68 is at one end. pro vided with a circumferentialwhich is similar in all respects to the grooves previously described andcooperates with a locking plate 16 which is dropped into a slot 99 inthe receptacle 65, a piece of insulation 100 being preferably interposedbetween it and the center contact 82 as clearly shown in Fig. 15.

Having thus described this invention in connection with the illustrativeembodiments thereof to the details of which 1 do not desire to belimited, what is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure byLetters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

groove 98" 1. In a mechanical movement the combination of a drlvlngmember, a driven member mounted on the driving member adapted to have alimited longitudinal movement in relation thereto and provided withoppositely disposed inclined surfaces forming hills and valleys, aplurality of fixed sorings adapted to cooperate with the hills andvalleys and means to immovably secure one end of each spring permittingthe other end of each spring to directly contact with the hills andvalleys.

2. In an electric light socket the combination of a single closedinsulating base or receptacle having an open mouth, a screw shellcontact closing the mouth of the receptacle, an axle, driving member orarbor mounted in the receptacle, an insulating driven member mounted onthe axle, said driven member being provided with oppositely inclinedsurfaces forming hills and valleys, and adapted to have relativelongitudinal movement on the driving member, fixed yielding meansoperating on the hills and valleys of the driven member, yieldingcontacts mounted in the receptacle, and a metallic ring secured to theinsulating driven member and adapted to contact directly with theyielding contacts.

3. In an electric light socket the combination of a metallic drivingmember provided with a metallic key or head, an insulating driven membersplined to the metallic key,

said member being provided with oppositely inclined surfaces formingopposed hills and valleys, a conducting member carried by the drivenmember, contacts with which it directly connects, and fixed yieldingmeans operating on the hills and valleys.

4. In a mechanical movement the combination of a driving member, adriven mem ber mounted on the driving member and adapted to have alimited longitudinal movement in relation thereto and provided withoppositely disposed inclined surfaces forming hills and valleys, asupport provided with one or more recesses, and one or more fixedsprings having one end bent to snugly fit the recesses and be securelyheld therein, the other end of the spring or springs being free tocontact with the hills and valleys.

5. In an electric light socket the combi nation of a driving member, aninsulating driven member mounted on the driving member and adapted tohave a limited longitudinal movement in relation thereto and providedwith oppositely disposed inclined surfaces forming hills and valleys,one or more conducting members carried by the driven member, contactswith which the con ducting members are adapted to contact, and yieldingmeans cooperating with the hills and valleys.

6. A key for an electric light socket provided with an indented portionand a circumferential groove, and a removable wedge inserted in theindented portion.

'IONJES AUGUST CARL BOTH.

Witnesses:

LnoN STRAnss, B. STRAUss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

